Browns GM Farmer on Gordon and Watkins together: "Wow!"

This story is the first in a series previewing the 2014 draft. April 30: Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney

Last season, Josh Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards, and in a little more than a week Browns general manager Ray Farmer might have the chance to take the consensus best wide receiver in the 2014 draft.
Tim Couch never had it so good. Neither has any of the 19 other quarterbacks who have started and mostly failed since the Browns returned in 1999.

“Big, big, really big — ginormous,” Farmer said April 29 when asked what kind of impact Sammy Watkins could have on the Browns. “He’s a good football player. He’s explosive. He’s got really good hands. He’s demonstrated he can run all the routes. He can be productive. So saddle him on the opposite side of Josh Gordon and — wow!”
Watkins will be in elite company if the Browns use the fourth pick on him or if he goes to one the three teams ahead of them.
Only seven receivers have gone in the top four picks since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999. Most of them have gone on to stardom.
The Bengals took A.J. Green fourth in 2011. The Lions took Calvin Johnson second in 2007, and the Cardinals took Larry Fitzgerald third in 2004. The Texans took Andre Johnson third in 2003.
The three other receivers taken in the top four did not produce to match their draft slot. The Browns took Braylon Edwards third in 2005. The Lions took Charles Rogers second on 2003 — one pick before the Texans took Johnson — and in 2000 the Bengals took Peter Warrick.
“Sammy Watkins could be as good as A.J. Green and Julio Jones (sixth to Atlanta in 2011) when they came out,” draft analyst Mel Kiper said.
Watkins could go as high as second to the Rams if they hold onto the pick and pass on an offensive lineman. The Jaguars pick third. Another team in love with Watkins could move ahead of the Browns, though in a draft this deep at wide receiver that is unlikely.
Even though the Browns added Andrew Hawkins and Nate Burleson in free agency, they still would like to add a dynamic playmaker at wide receiver to pair with Gordon. Watkins, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, caught 101 passes for 1,464 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2013. He caught 82 passes for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011.
“For me, Josh Gordon is one of the top receivers in the NFL,” Watkins said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I’d kind of take some pressure off him with double coverage and them flipping the coverage to his side. It would become a nightmare for defenses to match up with us.”
Calvin Johnson is 6-foot-5. Green is 6-foot-4, and Andre Johnson and Fitzgerald are each 6-foot-3.
Would being two inches shorter than Andre Johnson or Fitzgerald hinder Watkins? His 40-yard dash time, 4.43, wasn’t eye-popping, either.
“Only average height with a leaner than ideal build, lacking elite muscle definition or strength,” NFLdraftscout.com said in its analysis. “Lacks elite speed and more of a glider. Not overly physical and won’t break many tackles.”
Farmer shrugged off the criticism and said at this time of year every player gets trashed by some scouting service.
“The longer this goes, the more you’re going to find guys ended up casualties of war for the wrong reasons,” Farmer said. “If you just watch the guy play football, he’s different than a lot of wide receivers. I get that he’s not 6-2, 6-4, 6-5, I get that.
“But he plays the game violently and aggressive, which is kind of a rarity for most wide receivers. You see things in him that aren’t standard. So he’s a really good player, and he’ll be a good player in this league. He would be dynamic, so we have to kind of wait and see where he goes.”
Watkins does not expect his size or speed to be an issue in the NFL. He had a 34-inch vertical jump at the Combine.
“I try to be physical out there on the field as far as getting off press and blocking down the field,” he said. “To be that dominant receiver, I need to have that total package. Everyone knows all wide receivers can catch balls and score, but for me I’m focusing on the little things — blocking, getting off the press and being a physical, dominant receiver.
“I can run any route from curl to comeback to digs to hitches. I’ve become a pretty good route runner, but there are areas I can still improve in with getting out of my routes. What I’m really focused on is my curl routes and my comebacks. I’ve got to get my transition and know when to run full speed or not and synch my hips and get out of my routes.”
Watkins was arrested on May 4, 2012, by Clemson University police and charged with possession of a controlled substance and simple possession of marijuana. Both are misdemeanors. He issued the standard, “I made a mistake last night, and I am truly sorry for my actions. … I let the team down. ... I will learn from this” statement.
He has steered clear of trouble since then.